The MCUAAAR proposes to develop a collaborative community-based liaison core designed to increase the participation of older African Americans in health promotion and disease prevention activities and health related research (i.e., psychosocial clinical, epidemiological). For the purpose of this proposal the collaborative community-based liaison core is defined as researchers, health care providers, health care organizations, and older African Americans working together on designing, initiating and managing an action-based plan for increasing older African Americans participation in health-related research, health promotion and disease prevention activities. The collaborative community-based liaison core will begin with a participatory infrastructure of (n=50) older African American consultants who mirror the targeted population. These consultants will participate in the accomplishment of the community liaison core's specific aims. Specifically, these are to: (1) Develop a collaborative partnership of community-based organizations that can assist in the recruitment and retention of older African Americans into psychosocial, clinical and epidemiological research sponsored by MCUAAAR and other faculty; (2) Build and maintain an infrastructure of older African Americans who are available to provide input into MCUAAAR activities and for participation in psychosocial, clinical and epidemiologic research sponsored by MCUAAAR and other faculty; and (3) Develop and disseminate information to investigators at local institutions and nationally on techniques for the recruitment into and retention of older African Americans in psychosocial, clinical and epidemiologic research as well as health promotion and risk reduction activities. The accomplishment of these aims will contribute substantially to the goal of improving scientific knowledge regarding the health status of older African Americans and their participation in health promotion and risk reduction activities and research that may influence their health status.